Your Turn: March 17

Published 3:10 pm, Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Islamic State militants raise weapons and wave flags as a convoy of vehicles heads to Iraq in 2014. A reader notes that modern notions of warfare make it more difficult to defeat the terrorists.

Islamic State militants raise weapons and wave flags as a convoy of vehicles heads to Iraq in 2014. A reader notes that modern notions of warfare make it more difficult to defeat the terrorists.

Photo: Uncredited /Associated Press

Your Turn: March 17

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Eroding benefits

Re: “Act seeks to stifle voice of workers,” Robert Patrick, Another View, Monday:

In this union-hating and union-bashing state, it was refreshing to hear the voice of Robert Patrick, president of the Texas AFL-CIO. Folks need to be reminded that “perks” such as the eight-hour workday, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, injury and disability pay, paid vacations and retirement plans are all the result of unions’ efforts. Before unions, we workers had none of these.

Now that union membership has dropped precipitously, many workers have become so-called independent contractors, and all those hard-earned benefits are eroding. The result is a society of the 1 percenters — and all the rest of us.

Republicans are about to make a horrible mistake by nominating the least qualified candidate for president. This negative person is given to trash talk and has few realistic policy pronouncements for leading good government. Listening to his ranting and raving reminds me of the saying: “Tell a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth.” Of course, a lie is always a lie.

If the election becomes a choice between The Donald and Hillary, Hillary will win in a landslide.

Why? Many Republicans will vote for Hillary because they believe The Donald would be an ineffective and dangerous leader.

R.A. Braile

Religious states

Re: “Not church meeting,” Your Turn, March 8:

The letter about prayer invocations in City Council meetings eloquently expresses why religion has no place in any government activity.

Regardless of one’s interpretation of the Constitution, freedom of religion does not mean freedom for any religion to influence any government in any way. The millions of refugees presently fleeing religious governments are strong evidence of the consequences of religious states.

I shall vote for the presidential candidate who realizes and, hopefully, expresses this.